Excerpt: ...s here for summary judgment on the grounds that each claim of the First Amended Complaint (the “FAC”), which asserts causes of action for violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (the “FEHA”) in a single count, are timebarred. The County also moves for summary adjud ication of pre-2015 violations of the FEHA in the alternative. In support of both grounds, the County contends that Plaintiff Catherine Baker failed to exhaust her ad...

Excerpt: ...o exercise discretio n liberally to permit amendment of pleadings. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 473; 576; Nestle v. Santa Monica (1972) 6 Cal.3d 920, 939; Higgins v. Del Faro (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 558, 564.) Relevant procedural history. On July 10, 2023, the Court sustained, in p art, Defendant Tesla's Demurrer to Plaintiff's Third Amended Complaint, with respect to the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth causes of action therein, without leave to...

Excerpt: ...ions 426.30( a), 430.10(e). Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED pursuant to Cal. Evidence Code Section 452(d). Cal. Code of Civil Procedure Section 426.30(a) provides: “Except as otherwise provided by statute, if a party against whom a complaint has been filed and served fails to allege in a cross -complaint any related cause of action which (at the time of serving his answer to the complaint) he has against the plaintiff, such ...

Excerpt: ...l notice only as to the existence of these records, and not as to the truth of the factual matters contained therein. (Dominguez v. Bonta (2022) 87 Cal.App.5th 389, 400.) For the following reasons, however, Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment and/or Summary Adjudicat ion is continued to August 19, 2024. In the operative Third Amended Complaint, Plaintiff alleges, in short, that the parties entered into a settlement agreement in 2015 resolving...

Excerpt: ...orandum in supp ort of the petition and by subsequent motion filed April 8, 2024, petitioners also requested this court seal the personal identification information in the operating agreement which is attached to the petition as attachment 4(b). The Motion to seal is GRA NTED. This court in exercising its discretion, after considering and balancing all the factors in California Rules of Court, rule 2.550 and NBC Subsidiary (KNBC -TV), Inc. v. S...

Excerpt: ...roduction of Documents, Set Two, and Requests for Admission, Set One from Defendant Herbert Perez is DENIED. As a preliminary matter, the motion is untimely. Notice of a motion to compel further responses must be given “given within 45 days of the service of the verifi ed response, or any supplemental verified response” otherwise “the requesting party waives any right to compel a further response to the” request for production or reques...

Excerpt: ...Laws and Disgorg ement Per Business and Professions Code section 7031(b). “Except as provided in subdivision (e), a person who utilizes the services of an unlicensed contractor may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction in this state to recover all compensation paid to the unlicensed contractor for performance of any act or contract.” (Bus. & Prof. Code § 7031(b).) “Section 7031 is directed at precluding unlicensed contract...

Excerpt: ...y appear t o have been served by regular mail, in violation of Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1005(c). The Court will overlook the violation in this instance, but may continue future hearings, or disregard filings, for non- compliance with Sect. 1005(c). Legal standard. A demu rrer is used to challenge defects that appear on the face of the pleading, or from matters outside the pleading that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 31...

Excerpt: ...edwood City, CA, which is part of the Lynda Lake Gardens (“LLG”) development. In short, this action concerns Plaintiffs' access to the central lake in their housing development (“Lot A”) and its surrounding pathway easements. Among other matters, Plaintiffs primarily contend that the actions of the Homeowners' Association (“HOA”) and in particular, Defendant Gary Ernst as owner of the plot in between Plaintiffs' and the lake, prevent ...

Excerpt: ... Equity Growth Asset Management (“EGAM”) did not attempt to meet and confer with him before filing this motion. Under penalty of perjury, he denies EGAM's counsel's declaration that she called Suafai on four separate days, that no one picked up, that the number does not permit leaving a message, and that she sent an email a week before filing the motion. (See Jan. 16, 2024 Declaration of Joanna Kozubal, ¶¶ 3 –7.) Without weighing the cr...

Excerpt: ...plaint (“SAC”) is SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.10(e).) Hearing location. Defendants' 12 -28 -23 Notice of Demurrer incorrectly states that the hearing on this Demurrer will take place in the San Mateo courthouse. The hearing will take pla ce in Department 23, which is located to 400 County Center, Redwood City, Ca. Defendants' 12 -28 -23 Request for Judicial Notice (RJN) is GRANTED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(d).) T...

Excerpt: ...er than five (5) days after service of written notice of this order. Defendants demur to the Complaint under Code of Civil Procedure section 430.10, subdivision (e). They argue that the three -day notice to pay rent or quit (referred to as the “Notice”) served to them should have specified that payment of the overdue rent could be made by mail, rather than solely by personal delivery. “A valid three -day pay rent or quit notice is a prere...

Excerpt: ...graph 3 of the lease, Defendant PCHRG agreed to pay initial base rent of $15,500.00 monthly for the first two years of the lease, with annual increases thereafter. (See Compl. Ex. 1.) Under paragraph 3, the base rent increased to $17,505.00 on Jan. 1, 2023 and again to $ 18,030.00 on Jan. 1, 2024. Under paragraph 5 of the lease, PCHRG agreed to pay Plaintiff 100% of all real estate taxes assessed against the Premises as additional rent. Accordin...

Excerpt: ...s Third Cause of Action for Breach of Implied Warranties of Fitness and Merchantability under the SongBeverly Consumer Warranty Act (“Act”) based on failure to allege facts sufficient to support this claim. Defendant argues that Plaintiff has not alleged facts sufficient to support that he gave Defendant pre -suit notice to allow Defendant an opportunity to repair or replace the bicycle, as required under the Act. However, Defendant fails to ...

Excerpt: ...matter, Defendant The Charles Armstrong School (“the School”) fails to demonstrate it satisfied its meet -and -confer obligations. The Declaration of Kellie M. Murphy reveals that the parties' counsel only exchanged correspondence and did not “meet and confer in person, by t elephone, or by video conference” as required. (Code of Civ. Proc., § 430.41, subd. (a).) “A determination by the court that the meet and confer process was insuf...

Excerpt: ...cted free speech under the common interest doctrine set forth in Civil Code § 47(c)(1). The County seeks to strike paragraphs 38 through 43 and 61 through 68 of Plaintiff Steven Heindel's First Amended Complaint. The alleged defamatory statements are contained in paragrap hs 38 through 40 of the First Amended Complaint, which state: 38. Several senior ranking members of the Sheriff's Office have spread rumors that Sergeant Heindel was “walked ...

Excerpt: ...s Complaint asserts six causes of action against her employer, Defendant Visa Technology & Operations LLC (“Visa”), for gender, race, and national origin discrimination and retaliation in violation of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). (Govt. Code Sect. 1 2940 et. seq.) The Complaint alleges that at all relevant times, Plaintiff resided and worked in Virginia. (Cmplt., para. 4.) It alleges that “[Visa's] office overs...

Excerpt: .... (“SPS”) and U.S. Bank, N.A. (“US Bank”) (collectively, the “Lender Defendants”) regarding a mortgage loan relating to real property located in Daly City, CA. The Lender Defendants demur to each cause of action in the Complaint. Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice (“RJN”) is GRANTED pursuant to Cal. Evid. Code § 452(c), but only as to their existence and not as to the truth of the factual matters contained therein. For the r...

Excerpt: ... Maduros' (collectively, “Respondents”) “Motion to Transfer Venue,” filed 12 -2223, is DENIED. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 392 et. seq.) Background. Petitioners/Plaintiffs the City of San Bruno and Walmart.com USA, LLC (“Petitioners”) filed this Petition/Complaint against Respondents, seeking to set aside/invalidate certain decisions (“Reallocation Notices”) made by the CDTFA on April 17, 2023. Petitioners contend that the April 17, ...

Excerpt: ...plaint is DEN IED. Plaintiff and Cross -defendant Montgomery Sansome, L.P.'s Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items, but only for the existence of these documents as court records and not for the truth of any fact therein. (See Lockley v. Law Office of Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz & McCort (2001) 91 Cal.App.4th 875, 883– 884.) Defendant and Cross-complainant Nathalie Anne Gachot's papers reference a request for judicial notice ...

Excerpt: ...aranty Agreement to guarantee the lease entered into by Plaintiff and its tenant, Green Haven LLC (“Tenant”). The Guaranty Agreement calls for joint and several liability among the Guarantors, of whom Defendant Hester is one. (Defendant's SSUMF ¶ 9.) The Tenant defaulted on its re nt obligations in January 2023. (Defendant's SSUMF ¶ 5; Kronenberg Decl. ¶ 3.) Plaintiff now moves for summary judgment against Defendant for breach of guaranty....

Excerpt: ...icken is irrelevant, false, or improper under Code Civ. Proc. § 436(a).) A motion to strike may be used to attack the entire pleading, or any part thereof, even single words or phrases. (Baral v. Schnitt (2016) 1 Cal.5th 376, 393 -394.) The motion lies to strike any irrelevant, false, or improper matter inserted in any pleading, or to strike any pleading or part thereof which is not drawn or filed in conformity with the laws of this state, a co...

Excerpt: ...t (SAC), is GRAN TED. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 437c.) The State's alternative Motion for Summary Adjudication (“MSA”) is therefore DENIED AS MOOT. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 437c.) Plaintiff's 11 -6 -23 Objections to Evidence (to the 10 - 10 -23 Corrected Marshall Decl.) are ruled upon as follows: • Marshall Decl., Para. 4 -5. OVERRULED. Plaintiff's objections go to the weight of this testimony. Marshall testified in deposition that she does not...

Excerpt: ...lows: Demurre r to the Seventh Cause of Action for Breach of Duty of Common Carrier, based on failure to state facts sufficient to support this cause of action, is OVERRULED. The FAC alleges that the ambulances operated by Defendants are common carriers under Civil Cod e section 2168 because they hold themselves out to the public generally and indifferently to transport people from place to place for profit. (FAC, ¶ 129.) Defendants argue that ...

Excerpt: ...of Au gust 31, 2023. Based on this alleged nonpayment, Plaintiff served Defendants a “Notice to Pay Rent or Quit” pursuant to CCP § 1161(2) which provides Defendants with ten days to pay the owed rent in full —or, if Defendants fail to cure the default within 10 days, compels Defendants to vacate and deliver up possession of the premises within 30 days of service of the Notice. (Ex. B to Compl.) The parties do not dispute that the tenancy ...

Excerpt: ... than ten (10) days after service of written notice of entry of the formal order. As a preliminary matter, the notice of demurrer is defective, as it fails to state “the nature of the order being sought and the grounds for issuance of the order.” (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.110(a).) However, the memorandum of points and authorities sufficiently sets out the information so as to provide notice to Plaintiff Safeco Ins. Co. of America (“Safec...

Excerpt: ...l Procedure Section 397(a). As Defendants point out, Cal. Code of Civil Procedure Section 395.5 provides: A corporation or association may be sued in the county where the contract is made or is to be performed, or where the obligation or liability arises, or the breach occurs; or in the county where the principal place of business of such corporation is situated, subject to the power of the court to change the place of trial as in other cases. Pl...

Excerpt: ...plain t is DENIED. Plaintiff and Cross -defendant Montgomery Sansome, L.P.'s Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items, but only for the existence of these documents as court records and not for the truth of any fact therein. (See Lockley v. Law Off ice of Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz & McCort (2001) 91 Cal.App.4th 875, 883 –884.) Defendant and Cross- complainant Nathalie Anne Gachot's papers reference a request for judicial notic...

Excerpt: ... efendants Brius, LLC, Brius Management Co., Rockport Healthcare Support Services, LLC, San Mateo Wellness GP, LLC, San Mateo Healthcare & Wellness Centre, LP, Susan Ehrlich, Nora De Leon, Bryan Guillermo, Shirley Faller, Kristine Guillermo, Chester Kuna ppilly and Shlomo Rechnitz (collectively “Defendants”) to the First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) of Plaintiffs Rosario Custodio (“Rosario”), et al. (collectively “Plaintiffs”) is rul...

Excerpt: ...ve plea ding, the pleading is OVERRULED. However, Plaintiff's Complaint on its face discloses a fatal defect which requires the Court to instead render judgment on the pleadings in favor of Defendant. Plaintiff has failed to comply with statutory notice requirem ents. “Due to the summary nature of [an unlawful detainer] action, a three -day notice is valid only if the landlord strictly complies with the provisions of section 1161, subdivision 2...

Excerpt: ...onetary Sanctions is GRANTED. Deendant Tesla Energy Operations, Inc. shall designate and produce a person or persons most qualiÞed to testiy as to the twenty-our categories listed in Plainti
¯s Brad Jones' and Maria Jones' Notice o Entity Deposition No. 3 or deposition and produce the documents requested therein no later than February 23, 2024, or a later date mutually agreed upon by the parties in writing. Deendant Tesla Energy Operation...

Excerpt: ...in 2020. Defendant VintaBio, Inc. (“Defendant” or “VintaBio”) now moves to compel arbitration pursuant to section 10 of the agreement, “Dispute Resolution.” (Li Decl. Ex. A, section 10.) Plainti
¯ opposes, arguing that the arbitration provision is unconscionable and should not be enforced. The arbitration provision states, in relevant part, that “[i]n the event the parties hereto are unable to settle a dispute between them regardin...

Excerpt: ... Sect. 452(d).) The Court declines to rule on Plainti
¯s' 1-29-24 Objection to Evidence on grounds that it is immaterial to disposition of the motion. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 437c(q).) LEGAL STANDARD. A motion for summary judgment or adjudication shall be granted if the papers submitted show there is no triable issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 437c(c).) A pl...

Excerpt: ...mplaint review and analysis document, which is the subject of this motion, on or about June 14, 2014. Devyatov Decl., paragraph 13. That document was discussed between Draegen and Defendant Groeneweg at a June 28, 2019 web conference, wherein Groeneweg obtained a copy of the document. Ibid., at paragraph 14. Draegen argues that the document is protected by attorney-client privilege. Attorney- client privilege is governed by Cal. Evidence Code Sec...

Excerpt: ...t appear on the face of the pleading under attack, or from matters outside the pleading that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318.) (2) Defendants Demurrer to the Complaint is OVERRULED based on failure to allege facts su
¯icient to support an unlawful detainer action. A demurrer may be brought on the ground that “[t]he pleading does not state facts su
¯icient to constitute a cause of action.” (Code Civ. Pr...

Excerpt: ...in part and SUSTAINED in part WITH LEAVE TO AMEND as set forth below. Plainti
¯s Dennis Johnson and Rose Johnson may Þle and serve a Third Amended Complaint no later than January 12, 2024. Aron Construction, Inc. and Navneet Aron (collectively “Aron Defendants”) here demur to the eighth through tenth causes of action in the Second Amended Complaint (the “SAC”). Defendant ADL 7, LLC (“ADL 7”) has joined in the demurrer. Because the a...

Excerpt: ...(Lazar v. Superior Court (1996) 12 Cal.4th 631, 638.) Plainti
¯ must plead facts showing how, when, where, to whom, and by what means the alleged representations were made. (Id. at 645.) The Complaint lacks these allegations. As against the First and Second Causes of Action, Defendant argues that paragraph 11 does not constitute actionable fraud. (Mov. P&A at 5:2-5.) The argument is misguided because the fraud claims are not based on Paragraph 1...

Excerpt: ...A s a threshold matter, a demurrer can be used only to challenge defects that appear on the face of the pleading under attack, or from matters outside the pleading that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318.) (2) Defendants Demurrer to the Complaint is OVERRULED based on failure to allege facts su
¯icient to support an unlawful detainer action. A demurrer may be brought on the ground that “[t]he pleading does n...

Excerpt: ...lso whether or not sanctions should be imposed at all. The Court thanks counsel for their thorough brieÞng and supplemental brieÞng of these matters. In its initial tentative issued before a hearing on December 4, 2023, this Court concluded that Defendant Martijn Groeneweg (“Groeneweg” or “Defendant”)'s Motion to Compel should be denied on grounds of procedural deÞciency, for a failure to meet and confer prior to Þling the motion. The...

Excerpt: ...f the arbitration proceeding. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1281.4.) Defendant Meta's former employee, Plainti
¯ Alina Hunanyan, opposes Meta's request for arbitration, arguing that the parties' Arbitration Agreement is unconscionable, mainly because it severely curtails (or prevents) her ability, in arbitration, to conduct pre-hearing, thirdparty discovery. For the reasons explained below, and without discounting Plainti
¯'s expressed concerns about ...

Excerpt: ...on for judgment on the pleadings has the same function as a general demurrer but is made after the time for demurrer has expired. The rules governing demurrers apply. (Cloud v. Northrop Grumman Corp. (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 995, 999.) The grounds for a motion for judgment on the pleadings must appear on the face of the challenged pleading and/or be based on facts the court may judicially notice. (Code Civ. Proc. sect. 438(d); Tung v. Chicago Title ...

Excerpt: .... Defendants urban Flat, LLC's and Evan Haskell's Request for Judicial Notice is DENIED as irrelevant. (AL Holding Co. v. O'Brien & Hicks, Inc. (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 1310, 1313 fn. 2 ["a court must decline to take judicial notice of material that is not relevant"].) A. Legal Standard on Demurrer On a demurrer, the Court must "assume the truth of the facts alleged in the com-plaint and the reasonable inferences that may be drawn from those facts."...

Excerpt: ...art, without leave to amend pursuant to Cal. Code of Civil Procedure Section 430. IO(e) as to the Second COA for Breach of Written Contract and Third COA for Breach of the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, and OVERRULED, in part, as to the Tenth COA for Fraudulent Concealment, as follows. Second COA for Breach of Contract SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. Plaintiffs' allegations of breach of contract against the demurring Defendants hinge ...

Excerpt: ...orceable, a promise need only be "definite enough that a court can determine the scope of the and the limits of performance must be sufficiently defined to provide a rational basis for the assessment of damages." (Broome v. Regents of Univ. of California (2022) 80 Cal.App.5th 375, 389.) Plaintiff argues that alleged promise, on which the claim is based, is based on paragraphs 55 and 57 of the Second Amended Complaint. (Opp. P&A at 4:8-15.) Those ...

Excerpt: ...TIMOTHY ALEXANDER TENTATIVE RULING: The Motion of Defendant Timothy Alexander ("Defendant") to Compel Further Responses to Form Interrogatories, Set 1, Special Interrogatories, Set 1 and Request for Production, Set 1, from Plaintiff Ole Ventures Inc. ("OVI") and Request for Sanctions is ruled on as follows: (1) The Motion to Compel Further Responses to Form Interrogatories and Special Interrogatories is DENIED as untimely. A motion to compel furt...

Excerpt: ...g a "Shareholder Agreement" ("Agreement") entered into on April 1, 2016 by Plaintiff Ester Uziel ("Plaintiff") and her son, Defendant David uziel ("Defendant"). The Agreement, attached as Exhibit A to both Plaintiff's initial verified Complaint and her unverified First Amended Complaint ("FAC") contains an arbitration provision at paragraph 9.1, which reads: "If a dispute arises out of or relates to this Agreement or its breach, the parties agree...

Excerpt: ...on submitted in support of Defendants' Reply is OVERRULED. Existence of Agreement to Arbitrate On petition of a party to an arbitration agreement alleging the existence of a written agreement to arbitrate a controversy and that a party to the agreement refuses to arbitrate that controversy, the court shall order the petitioner and the respondent to arbitrate the controversy if it determines that an agreement to arbitrate the controversy exists, u...

Excerpt: ...laint is SUSTAINED in part and OVERRULED in part. Defendants Matte Sun Group, LLC's and Evan Haskell's Request for Judicial Notice is DENIED as irrelevant. (AL Holding Co. v. O'Brien & Hicks, Inc. (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 1310, 1313 fn. 2 ["a court must decline to take judicial notice of material that is not relevant"].) As a preliminary matter, Plaintiff TGA F299 Franklin LLC's opposition was not timely filed or served. (See Code of Civ. Proc„ S ...

Excerpt: ...0 for an order compelling Plaintiff Swenberg to provide responsive documents to the Document Request Nos. 21, 22, 80, 88, 89, 100-103, 105, and 113-118 which were attached to Dmarcian's Second Amended Notice of Continued Deposition to Plaintiff. In particular, Dmarcian seeks the production of the following documents: First category: mitigation documents Relating to Agari: consulting agreement, invoices, records of payments, and any 1099 form from...

Excerpt: ... DISCOVERY PROCESS BY PLAINTIFFS OLE TRAVEL INC. AND OLE VENTURES INC. TENTATIVE RULING: The Motion of Plaintiffs Ole! Travel Inc. and Ole Ventures Inc. ("Plaintiffs") for Monetary Sanctions, Issue Sanctions, Evidentiary Sanctions, Terminating Sanctions and/or Contempt Sanctons against Defendant Timothy Alexander is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. Plaintiffs filed this Motion on March 5, 2023, which was originally set for hearing on September 11, 2023....